Barcelona home in on Jose Mourinho

In demand: Barcelona fans see Jose Mourinho as the ideal man to stop the club's poor away form

By Giles Mole

8:48AM GMT 13 Nov 2007

The prospect of Jose Mourinho becoming Barcelona manager has taken a step closer to reality after the club's supporters gave current coach Frank Rijkaard a massive vote of no confidence and called for the board to appoint the 'Special One' immediately.

According to reports, Barca president Joan Laporta has sounded out Mourinho's agent Jorge Mendes about the possibility of replacing Rijkaard as soon as possible to prevent unrest spreading amongst the club's fanatical fans, whose opinion carries weight at a club where the president is elected.

In a poll organised by Spain's leading sports publications, supporters have unanimously voted for Mourinho to be brought in to arrest the current slump in form.

In Spanish daily El Mundo Deportivo, one such fan is quoted as saying: "Sign Mourinho and let's make the rest of the league fear us again," while another said, "Let's sign Mourinho to sort out the mess."

Mourinho's aggressive approach is seen by a growing number as the perfect antidote to Rijkaard's laid-back style of management, although his reputation for winning with blood and sweat rather than beautiful football will certainly have its detractors.

Rijkaard's cause has not been helped by Real Madrid topping the La Liga table and the fact he does not seem to be able to get the best out of the most potent attacking combination in world football.

The combined force of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho has yet to fire and according to Catalonia's No 1 football paper, Sport, 66 per cent of Barcelona fans feel Rijkaard is not the man to make the club's star triumvirate click.